Shoe-form.



No- 7s5,115. I PATENTEDYMAR. 21, 1905.

' w. L. c. NILES.

f v SHOE FORM.

AP PLIOA'TION BLED JAN. 28, 1904.

[L A n \A/ITNESSES. |NVE.N'TOR- Patented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OF IC WALTER L. (J. NILES, OF SAUGUS, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-FORM- SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,115,dated March 21, 1905. Application filed January 23, 1904. Serial No.190,297.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVALTER L. (J. NILES, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Saugus, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShoe-Forms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe-forms, particularly suchas are designed for use in displaying samples.

It has been proposed to make lasts and forms in two sections connectedso that that they may be collapsed when inserted into a shoe andthereafter expanded and secured in expanded position. In the use of suchdevices inconvenience arises from their tendency to expand While beingdrawn out from or inserted in a shoe.

it is the object of the present invention to obviate this objection byproviding a collapsible shoe-form with means for holding the form incollapsed position while it is being inserted or withdrawn.

A further object of the invention is to improve the construction ofshoe-forms in the respects hereinafter pointed out.

1; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the toggle and.

connected parts.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the body of the formcomprises a heel portion 1 and a toe portion 2, connected by a hinge 3and cut away at 4, so that they may be swung together, as in Fig. 2. Tohold the form in expanded position in the shoe, a tog gle having arms 5,hinged together at 6, is pivotally connected at 7 7 to the parts of thebody. When the form is collapsed, the toggle will be bent upward, as inFig. 2, and

when the toggle is straightened the form will be held in expandedposition, as in Fig. 1.

To hold the form in collapsed position while it is being inserted in orwithdrawn from a shoe, the arms 5 of the toggle are slotted, as at 8,and a locking-bar 9 is provided having pins 10 engaging the slots 8. Thepins have heads 11, which secure them in the slots. The pins are freetoslide in the slots and when the form is collapsed they are forced downto the lower ends of the slots, as in Fig. 2, and engage notches 12therein. Any tendency of the form to expand will be resisted by the pinsand the locking-bar, the notches 12 preventing the tension of thelocking-bar upon the pins from causing them to slide up the inclinedslots. After the form has been inserted in the shoe it may be expandedby raising the locking-bar with the finger and straightening thetoggle'to the position shown in Fig. 1.

When it is desired to withdraw the form 'from the shoe, it is collapsed,as shown in Fig. 2, and the forefinger is inserted beneath the rear edgeof the heel portion,which is held from movement with relation to the toeportion by the locking-bar while the form is being withdrawn, thelocking-bar acting to positively and unyieldingly lock the form incollapsed position, so that it cannot be expanded by any force exertedupon the heel portion in withdrawingthe form from 'the shoe. Thelocking-bar serves also to prevent the toggle from bending downward andclosing when in the position of Fig. 1 by engaging the head 18 of therivet by which the toggle-arms are connected together. The locking-baris curved so as not to be engaged by the rivet until the toggle hasslightly passed its straightened position, in order that any tendency ofthe form to close may not cause the toggle to bend upward.

In order that the form may be at once light and strong, the bodyportions are made of suit able sheet material, such as leather-board,the bottom of the toe portion being open. To reinforce this portion,reinforcing-strips 13 are secured by rivets 1 1 to the sides of the toe.and a transverse brace 15 connects these strips.

The brace consists of a strip of sheet metal channeled to impartstiflness. This is bent at 16 to form shoulders bearing against theinner sides of the reinforcing-strips, and the ends of the brace passthrough the reinforcingstrips and are clenched between the strips andthe material of the body of the form. This construction is superior tothat formerly employed in shoe-forms in which the brace extends throughthe sides of the toe portion as well as through the reinforcing-stripsand is clenched against the outside surface thereof, since the presentconstruction leaves the outside of the form perfectly smooth and freefrom points which might catch in the lining of the shoes in which theform is inserted, and, furthermore, absolutely prevents the ends of thebrace from working through the sides of the form, as often happens inthe prior construction. It is to be observed in this connection thatthis method of securing the brace in the form contributes also to thestrength and durability of the form. In the old construction the end ofthe brace penetrated the body of the form through a slit cut therein toreceive it, and the cutting of this slit in the body of the formweakened it somewhat, and when the old form was subjected to externalpressure it bent at rather a sharp angle at the end of the brace. In thepresent construction, inwhich the brace extends througha slit in thereinforcing-strip, the form bends when subected to pressure along acurve, the body portion of the form not being weakened by the slit whichwas formerly present in the old construction. This fact contributesmaterially to the life of the form, preventing, as it does, sharp bendsin the form when subjected to pressure.

The present invention is not limited to the described embodimentthereof, but may be embodied in other forms.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States 1. A shoe-form comprising. acollapsible body and means for positively and unyieldingly locking thesame in collapsed position, substantially as described.

2. A shoe-form comprising a toe portion and a heel portion hingedtogether, and means for positively and unyieldingly locking the saidparts in collapsed position, and for holding them in expanded position,substantially as described.

3. Ashoe-form comprising two relatively movable parts, a toggleconnecting the said parts, and means for locking the toggle in closedposition, substantially as described.

4. A shoe-form, having, in combination, a toe portion, a heel portionhinged thereto, a toggle secured at its ends to said parts and providedwith slots in its arms, and a lockingbar carrying pins engaging the saidslots to lock the toggle in closed position, substantially as described.

5. A shoe-form comprising a hollow body having reinforcing-stripssecured to the inner surfaces of the toe portion, and a brace conmeetingthe said strips and comprising a metal strip passing through thereinforcing-strips and clenched between the said strips and the body ofthe form, substantially as described.

6. A shoe-form, having, in combination, a toe portion, a heel portionhinged thereto, a toggle secured at its ends to the said parts andprovided with slots, a bar carrying pins engaging the slots, and anextension from the joint of the toggle arranged to engage the said barwhen the toggle is open to prevent closing of the toggle in onedirection, substantially as described.

7. A shoe-form, having, in combination, a toe portion, a heel portion, atoggle secured at its ends to said parts. a bar mounted on the arms ofthe toggle and having a sliding connection therewith permitting thetoggle to close in one direction, and a projection from the togglearranged to engage said bar and prevent the toggle from closing in theother direction, substantially as described.

8. A shoe-form, having, in combination, a toe portion, a heel portionhinged thereto, a toggle secured at its ends to said parts, alocking-bar mounted on the arms of the toggle, and means cooperatingtherewith to lock the toggle in closed position and to prevent closingof the toggle in one direction, substantially as described.

9. A shoe-form, having, in combination, a toe portion, a heel portionhinged thereto, a toggle secured at its ends to said parts, and alocking-bar mounted on the arms of the toggle and cooperating therewithto lock the toggle in closed position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WVALTER L. C. NILES.

Witnesses:

FARNUM F. DORSEY, FRED O. FISH.

